Guntur: Private medical practitioners are welcoming the decision of the government about using their services and further giving paramedics recognition, but doctors of the Indian Medical Association are severely objecting the government decision and demand its rollback.
AP Minister for Medical and Health K. Srinivas said the AP government would give training to private medical practitioners and use their services as community paramedics. He said the government would offer six months of training in government medical colleges and they have to work in the government hospitals and 108 ambulance services for three months each. The private medical practitioners, commonly known as RMP and PMP, stated that their community had been fighting for the recognition for the past 40 years and now they have got a chance to serve the people better.
Federation of Community Paramedics’ Association leaders said former AP CM Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had started the training programme to private medical practitioners in the year 2008, and gradually offered training to nearly 48,000 practitioners by year 2011, but later it was stopped due to the death of YSR. Association leader V.B.T. Raju, S.A. Sattar and others said rural/private medical practitioners were playing important role towards providing first aid treatment to the public in the rural areas and this training would help them to offer good quality treatment.
They said nearly 12,000 rural/private medical practitioners would be benefited in Guntur district with the decision of the government. M. Jagganadha Rao recalled that during 1960-70, then united AP government used to give recognition to medical practitioners by conducting tests, hence, they were called registered medical practitioners but the system was stopped from 1970.
But the doctors are opposing recognition to these practitioners. Indian Medical Association Tenali president Dr Ch. Sambasiva Rao said there was no alternative to medical course as every doctor has to study MBBS and then has to work as house surgeon.
Doctors Sambasiva Rao, Anil Kumar, E.S.K. Prasad and Srinivasa Rao said medical science changes every day and qualified doctors sometimes face troubles so the recognition to rural/private practitioners is not good and this would be dangerous to the lives of the public and demanded cancellation of the decision.
Government decision flayed, beneficiaries blame doctors
Indian Medical Association has raised objections to the training a certification of RMP's who were called as quacks.
The Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare's G.O.No 465 permits AP Paramedical board to give community paramedic training to Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs).
The State government's move is facing criticism from doctors across the state. Indian Medical Association (IMA) and allied organisations were seriously opposing the GO and plan to knock the doors of the high court on this issue.
AP government have decided to train RMPs and PMPs for a period of six months following which they will be certified as Community paramedics. The GO also directs the constitution of a committee under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary Health and Commissioner Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Vidhana Parishad, Director of Public Health and Family Welfare and Secretary, AP Paramedical Board as members.
"How can government take a decision on training RMPs who do not have any right to treat as per the guidelines given by Medical Council of India (MCI). We were certified as doctors after five and a half years of academic studies and one year internship. How can an RMP treat patients with six months' part time training." says Indian Medical Association, Andhra Pradesh Unit President Dr. Potluri Gangadhara Rao.
"The government is giving filthy reasons to regularise RMPs. We are waiting for guidelines on this training and certification programme and will file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)," says Dr K.S. Karuna Murthy IMA.
Meanwhile associations of RMPs were criticising doctors saying that they were main sources of income for corporate hospitals and they are opposing our certification.
